


AeriSeph Weekly Challenge

by TonantzinErde



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26029762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TonantzinErde/pseuds/TonantzinErde
Summary: Written for the AeriSeph Weekly Challenge. There will be multiple chapters with stories written according to the word of the week.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Sephiroth
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	1. Unspoken competition (Towel)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a challenge that KyuubiPandoraChan started on the Aeriseph Discord (https://discord.gg/PAW86E). Everyone is welcome to join and this challenge is open to anyone who is interested to take up the challenge. The rules are to write a story that must include the word of the week and Aerith and Sephiroth. The challenge is designed to create more fanfic of Aeriseph.

THIS TIME she _had_ been paying attention. Aerith retraced her steps all the way to the hanging line, through her vegetable and flower garden. Nowhere to be found. She threw her hands out in theatrical frustration and refrained from smiling.

Sephiroth was leaning against the door frame to the cottage, with that adorably annoying smug smile of his. She ignored the damned towel around his waist as she walked past him.

Not that she had exactly lost their wordless competition... She swiftly pulled the towel off and sprinted upstairs, followed by a gasp and the promise of a fitting revenge.


	2. A Force of Nature (Palm)

Aerith stood very still. She had spotted her enemy from some distance, propped up against the wall, surveying the area. She would have to move quickly with all the stealth she could muster.

She clenched her weapon, she kept her eyes focused on her target, and skillfully made her way navigating around the obstacles she encountered almost without breathing. She knew she only stood a chance if she sneaked on him by surprise: a misstep would reveal her position, and leave her entirely vulnerable. She was on her own, but she was ready. 

_Steady now, don't even blink or you might lose him_ , she told herself. She readied her weapon, took in a deep breath, and shot! She got a bit closer and found to her dismay she had missed, and even worse, he had disappeared.

Damn it!

No, wait! There he is!

She shot again, and again, and AGAIN! The crashing and booming were muzzled by her determination. By this point she was shooting in the dark but she didn't care - this would end tonight! In her frenzy, she saw a light flutter and shadow from the corner of her eye, and, closing her eyes, she instinctively shot out her hand to defend herself as best she could, feeling the impact against something hard that sent a pang of pain up her arm. 

A creak and a bang forced her to open her eyes.

"What on the planet is going on here? Aerith?" Sephiroth's booming voice filled the room. 

Still holding the cushion, Aerith looked around and discovered the trail of destruction she had left in her wake. She came over to him and proudly showed him her palm: squished against the skin lay the battered corpse of a mosquito. She grinned at him victoriously.

"Hi dear! I've just saved us from another sleepless night!"

She jumped to kiss him on the cheek and left the room.

"Hey! Who's going to clean this mess? Aerith!"

The silent response spoke volumes.


	3. Dangerous Games (Crutch)

"Come and see!" Aerith yelled from her atelier.

Reluctantly, Sephiroth made his way to her atelier. 

"Look what I made for you!" she exclaimed excitedly, and proudly produced before him her latest invention. He sighed and took the contraption from her, and turned it in his hands to examine it. It was fashioned in hard leather and metal, with several string ties dangling from it.

"What... Exactly... Is _this_?" He asked.

"It's a _crutch_ , silly!"

"Aerith, this isn't a crutch. Crutches are long and made our of wood or metal and are meant to support a person's weight."

"Well, of course it's not _that_ kind of crutch, but I promise, I looked up the name!" She took a heavy volume from her cluttered desk and opened a bookmarked page. "See?" She asked triumphantly.

Sephiroth read the entry and blanched.

"I'm not wearing this, Aerith. There are limits to everything and this is one of them. And I'm sure there's another name for this... Thing..."

She put her hands on her hips, defiant.

"Why are you not wearing it?"

"Because it will look... Ridiculous."

Aerith snorted.

"Well mister, I think I need to make something clear. It's not my fault that you boys play rough games and that you don't care about hurting each other, but I, mister, will not tolerate another episode of your whiny complaints, or another week of abstinence because you are sore. Oh, no, that's not happening. So," she pushed her index finger against his chest, "since I've put a lot of energy into making it, the least you can do is try it, at least once!"

Sephiroth looked painfully at the apparatus in his hand.

"Come on!" Aerith said encouragingly. "Look, if it's absolutely horrible, you don't have to use it ever again."

His yielding assent felt like the sacrifice of his masculinity in the altar of domesticity, but still Sephiroth managed to ask her for assistance in tying all the knots.

"What the hell is _that_?" Zack asked, pointing at Sephiroth's groin.

"Could you be a bit more discreet?" Sephiroth asked between his teeth.

"No, seriously man. What the hell are you wearing?"

"Don't even mention it", Sephiroth threatened.

"Wow, look at _that_! Where did you find it?" Cloud asked when he joined them. "It looks... Medieval or something."

"Shh, Cloud, I think Steph's a bit touchy about the subject."

"It's a crutch, okay? Aerith made it. I couldn't say no. Now leave me alone and focus on the game."

Barret's bellow reached them as he approached from the other side of the field.

"Ha! I hope you are ready to get your asses royally kicked! This time we have been training hard and you don't stance a ch - What on the planet are you _wearing_?!" He exclaimed, pointing his gun arm at Sephiroth's crotch. 

"Barret, dude, Seph's a bit sensitive about this, so shall we just get going?" Zack interceded, empathising with his friend's embarrassment. 

"Yeah, let's do that. No piece of equipment is going to give you any advantage, I swear to that! Get ready to bite the dust!" Barret laughed.

Sephiroth clenched his fists and got into position next to Zack, Cloud and the rest of the team.

Late in the evening, the front door banged against the wall, and, scared, Aerith came running to the hall. Her heart almost stopped when she saw Spehirorh crossing the threshold in a terrible state: completely covered in dirt, with spurts of blood over his coat, his cheek bruised and blackening, and reeking of smoke. When he saw her, he beamed at her, and forgetting his lamentable state, swept her up and kissed her deeply.

"So I take it the game went well?" Aerith asked, laughing in his arms. He put her down and kissed her again.

"Well? It was glorious! Simply sublime! With this piece of equipment I was unstoppable!"

Aerith took a step back, surprised - she had never seen him so enthusiastic about anything outside of bed.

"You just can't imagine - the feeling - it was... Ah! Knowing myself absolutely invincible! Not having to care about protecting my most vulnerable part and to focus entirely on the game. I was almost levitating! And all thanks to you, my love."

He knelt before her and kissed her hand.

"Please forgive my disbelief. I now see I was a fool for doubting your genius."

"Gee, Sephiroth, you're making me blush with all these compliments!" She giggled. "And I'd much rather you show me how grateful you are after you take a shower, hm? I'll wait for you in bed."

Sephiroth happily obliged, and Aerith soon heard the soothing sound of running water and Sephiroth's moans of relief. She smiled to herself, satisfied.

"Oh, no. That's not happening", she said when he approached the bed.

"Please, my love? Just this once?"

"Listen, you know I love you, and that's why I offered in the first place. But it's not coming into this bed. End of story."

Sephiroth pouted. "Pretty please...?"

She laughed. What was wrong with him, all of a sudden?

"It's just that... It's so well made, it fits perfectly, and I really -"

"Okay, okay! Have it your way, mister. But just this once!" She said, and indignant, turned around to give him her back. He felt him slide under the sheets and come closer to her, joining his chest with her back. And there it was, the weird hardness of the leather bulge against her butt. She sighed in frustration.

"I made that precisely so you wouldn't need it in bed!" She complained.

Sephiroth pushed the contraption harder against her.

"And you did a magnificent job of it. And now..." He bent over her ear and nipped it. "Since you so diligently put it on me, I think you should take it off... If you can."

"Aha", she said, and turned to see him smiling mischievously. "And... What exactly would I get in return?"

"A most deserved prize for your efforts."

"Well then, mister", she grabbed the crutch and pushed it against him, "I believe the game is on."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clutch: the crotch of a garment, see "codpiece"


	4. The Gift (Lace)

Aerith stood in front of a full length mirror, the thin fabric against her torso, turning this way and the other. Her suitcase lay open on the bed of her hotel room, with pieces of clothing and toiletries scattered over the quilt. She had just arrived that very morning, and was planning on an early bedtime before what would surely be a strenuous day, when she had found the little parcel on top of her usual messy array of belongings, like a bright little rooster at dawn. There had been no card, but no signature was needed.

She propped her head sideways, imagining how the delicate black lace would hug her skin. It was not really her style, but lately she found she was increasingly in the mood to try new things.

"Ravishing as always, Aerith."

The voice at her back made her jump, and she dropped the garment on the floor. The thumping of her heart only made her anger flare hotter as she looked at him in the eye through the reflecting surface of the mirror.

"What are you doing here? And how did you come in?"

"My, my, did I scare you? Please accept my apology."

His silent footsteps guided him from the door around the bed, maintaining a respectful safety distance between them.

"I don't accept your apology. We have an agreement, and right now you are not honouring it."

He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, smirking contemptuously.

"I'm surprised you didn't hear me enter. I even knocked, but I suppose your mind was busy with other... Concerns", he remarked, pointing his head towards the black pile on the floor. "A gift from your latest lover, I take it?"

"That", she turned around and bent to recover the piece of clothing, "is absolutely none of your business. What do you want?"

"Oh, I was just passing nearby and thought I'd check in on you. Since we are co-workers it's the least I can do."

"That's very thoughtful", she said coldly. "So, I'm fine, as you can see -"

"He must have a fine eye, he seems to have picked up the correct size for you. I should have thought about lace lingerie myself."

"Oh? You're not jealous now, are you?"

"Of course I am."

"Well, that's too bad. You've had your chance. Or do I have to remind you that it was you who cheated in the first place? You wouldn't believe that I'd be willing to -"

"I think you should try it on."

Aerith snorted in frustration.

"Are you even listening?"

"No, I'm not. You've said this before, and it changes nothing. Not what I did, or what you did, or how I feel about you. It's all the same as it was. And maybe because it's so, I would like to see you wearing that... Whatever it's called."

"A bodysuit."

"Yes, thank you. I'd like to see you in that lace bodysuit."

There it was, that look of utter sincerity and defencelessness behind the steel wall, the most pure form of vulnerable arrogance that only Sephiroth was capable of. The art of disguising a plea as a command, because it was only then that he would be able to ask. Even though it would rattle the tightrope they were walking on.

Doubt gnawed at her. The pull towards him was overbearing, and resisting it left her trembling from exhaustion. Feeble and knowing the battle was already lost, she gave it her last effort nonetheless.

"Why...?"

"Because I'm in love with you, and I will beg and steal for every single moment of intimacy I can get, even if it's courtesy of another man. I am aware I am crossing the boundaries we set, and that I have no right to ask for this window into your life. Still, I must ask."

"And if I say no?" The trembling had brought her heart against her skin. She couldn't decide if she wanted to slap him or kiss him - either way she'd cry herself to sleep.

"Then I will leave."

A moment passed. Then another. Sephiroth nodded and pushed himself upright to turn to leave.

"Wait", Aerith whispered. "Wait. I'll... Just give me a moment." And she disappeared into the bathroom.

When she emerged, Sephiroth failed to contain a gasp. She had let her hair loose and it fell in soft waves down her sides and back, framing her slim silhouette. She was in a snug bodysuit made of an intricate pattern that highlighted her curves and showed just enough of her skin as to rouse his curiosity to explore every inch of her.

 _Inviting_ didn't quite cut it. Primal desire tugged at his entire body, and he dared not move lest he completely lost control.

Aerith blushed under his gaze.

"Is this... What you wanted?" She asked meekly.

"Yes."

"Okay, um..." She was starting to get nervous. "Are you just going to stand there...?"

One second layer he was towering over her, his hand softly caressing her cheek. He bent over just enough to place a soft kiss where her hair met her forehead. She closed her eyes and breathed him in.

All of eternity fit between his lips and her skin.

"Have a good evening, Aerith."

Without another word, he turned and left the room.

Aerith stood there, her mind slowly catching up with what had happened, her heart painfully reminding her of what she had loved and lost.

When there was a knock on the door, she pounced on the handle, because maybe, just maybe -

"Hi! Oh, wow! Aerith! You're wearing my gift... You are... You look..."

"Ah, Zack... Hello."

He cleared his throat. He had brought flowers.

"Can I... I mean, may I come in?"

Why couldn't Sephiroth be normal and bring her flowers, say he was sorry and just...? Why did he have to leave her breathless and hurt instead?

"Aerith?"

"Huh?" She met his blue eyes. "Oh, sorry, sorry. Yes, please come in."

Zack crossed the threshold, and Aerith peeked outside to both sides of the corridor.

Nothing.

She sighed, put the "do not disturb" sign on the handle, and locked the door.


	5. In Memoriam (Bury)

The party had gathered close together, a bedlam of cloth colour against the grey sky and deep green of the trees. The Forest of the Ancients offered them a soothing shelter for their trembling hearts.

It was a fitting place, really, to bury Ifalna.

Sephiroth watched them from a small hill, enough distance between them as to blend with the shadows of the thick vegetation - a vantage point from which to defend them should an enemy appear.

The fight was far from over, but they had been running for a fortnight, seeking respite to regroup and recharge. Sephiroth could see the exhaustion weighing them down like wet, autumn leaves, ready to let go. 

Aerith needed this the most. He would never had allowed the others to see him, and even less to know he was helping them. Cloud would have gone bonkers, most probably. But he had approached her the night before, after she performed their agreed signal, and after their had handed her a small, metallic box.

"From Hojo's lab", he had whispered. 

She had cried then as she was crying now. Freshly dug earth formed a mound, before which Aerith bowed to breathe it in - the earth that embraces death to give birth to new life. She prayed, and the trees flickered their leaves in silent memoriam.

It started to rain shortly after the party had left, and Sephiroth made his way down to pay his respects. The grave was already covered with flowers.


	6. Details (Stare)

It always were the little details that caught him off guard and left him suspended in between breaths.

Aerith sitting by the window, quietly reading from a heavy volume, completely immersed in a universe out of his reach; bathed in the afternoon sunlight, the shade of her hair perfectly matched the autumnal dress of the trees. The peace she irradiated seemed to permeate everything around her and infuse it with a quiet glow.

Sephiroth would stand there, caught in mid-step, captive of the rapture of seeing, as if through a microscope, the infinite layers that made up her body and brought her to life. Patterns of galaxies materialised in a perfect human being.

"It's not very polite to stare like that, you know?"

Her smile filled the room, and his heart seemed to expand against his very bones.

"I can't help it."

Putting the book aside and walking towards him, her scent announced her proximity and Sephiroth inhaled it hungrily.

"Then don't just stare", she said as she came to stand closer to him. She circled his waist with her arms and looked into his eyes.

It was always the little details. The way her eyes became almost iridescent just before twilight. The way the light played shadows with the curve of her lower lip. How his every cell reacted to her presence, a constant pull to be close to her.

The universe had manifested itself into perfection in the woman he loved, and smiling back at her, he bent down to kiss her.


	7. Equivalent Exchange (Lips)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Universe closely linked to the FFVII world. The Land of the Cetra is a country in the same planet, but independent and closed within itself. Sephiroth is an admiral of the fleet that arrives in search of a powerful weapon.

In a contest of wills, nobody could stand up to Admiral Sephiroth. Now, however, as he sat on a cushion on the carpeted floor, with the fragrance of freshly brewed tea steaming from the translucent teapot, he had to admit he would have to reconsider that statement.

Before him, sitting on an ample throne atop of the seat, teasing skin into view from under the silk-like fabric she wore, whispering quiet instructions to the servant that was tending to her, sat the ruler of the Cetra.

"Thank you. You may leave us now", he heard her say.

"You treat your servants kindly", he observed, projecting his voice from where he sat.

"Oh, they are not my servants. They serve, like we all do, but unlike where you come from, nobody can own other people, or even pay them for their service, for that matter. People do what must be done voluntarily."

He evaluated her as she used her hands expressively to illustrate her explanation. Soft-spoken but unmistakably regal in her posture, she could be no more than 20 years old. Her auburn hair was tied up in an intricate bun held up with red and green threads, a few locks allowed free to frame her face and shoulders. As he appraised the places where the fabric hugged her flesh, he realised he was getting distracted.

"And does it work? Do your people do what must be done?" he asked, quickly refocusing on the conversation.

She chuckled, amused.

"Of course they do. It's for the benefit of all."

"Hm, I see... It is indeed a very interesting social system. In all my travels I have never encountered something quite like it. However, I'm curious... Who decides what must be done?"

"Well sir, it would seem to me that in your disbelief you're keen on trying to find a fracture in the vessel even before holding it in your hands."

"Your highness, please don't misinterpret my intentions." He quickly rectified. "I am simply striving to understand you and your people better, especially in light of our recent agreement."

She leaned forward to pick up her cup of tea and sipped from it in silence, her eyes focus on a place somewhere beyond be him, pensive eyelids drooping softly. From her seat she could see beyond the curtains that draped the exit door to the garden, the evening light already starting to fade. She chuckled at an internal train of thought and brought her gaze back to him.

"I think "agreement" is taking it a bit too far, wouldn't you say?"

"Well, I-"

"I truly commend you for your curiosity, Admiral Sephiroth", she continued, "but I'm afraid it's too soon to reveal to you the practices that enable us to live like we do. We have had to defend ourselves before from our own naiveté - always from men who thought they could bend us to their will and turn us into slaves."

"Yes, I have heard some stories. Those encounters have been... Unfortunate."

"For them, indeed. We are a peaceful people, but make no mistake, we know how to defend ourselves. We were pushed to having to take extreme measures, regretfully. Some lost at least one of their heads." She cocked her head sideways, a sad smile in her lips. "It always surprised me to see how undecided they were when they were made to choose which one."

After a pause, Sephiroth laughed discreetly.

"With all due respect, empress, they were idiots. Your laws are clear and all visitors are made to swear to uphold them upon arrival. There is no room for misunderstandings. The penalty for rape seems more than fair."

She smiled behind her cup as she brought it to her lips. Like the teapot, it was made of a translucent material that an eye less observant could have mistaken for glass. Exquisite engravings and twists and twirls in the material gave its origin away; a delicate ornament that highlighted its sacred nature. He likewise sipped from his cup, letting the hot liquid fill all his senses; he noticed a gentle tingle on his tongue, which quickly transmuted into a wave of warmth spreading through his entire body. All trace of tiredness or worry was erased from him.

"It's something else, isn't it?" she asked before he could utter a word. "What do you feel?"

Sephiroth took a moment to articulate the feeling into coherent words.

"I feel... Restored. Like there was something essential I lost and only now I'm aware of it... Is it the effect of the Asterma Coris?"

"Yes. Anything that comes into physical contact with the Asterma Coris crystals that have been consecrated has a similar effect. Alas, unless you are Cetra, the effect is short lived. In any case", she resumed the conversation, "even if your interest in our culture and respect for our laws is commendable, you are here to defend your own interests."

"I am", he responded. She looked at him openly, with the clear eyes of somebody who had nothing to hide. Internally he wished she would come closer, so he may distinguish the patterns the changing light would play in her iris. He resolved to speak with sincerity as well.

"Unlike in this land, I do have an economic liaison to my employer", he continued. "It is not moved by loyalty or a desire for the greater good, but it entails responsibility nonetheless. It is no secret your mako crystals are heavily sought after planet-wide, and that you don't sell them. Whoever manages to access them could truly shift the current balance of power."

"Hence your mission was bound for failure before it even began, was it not, mister Admiral?"

"You still don't sell them, it's true. But studying your lore I came across the concept of equivalent exchange, not very different from the philosophical and chemical principles of our own alchemists, and I thought that might prove an opening into at least having a conversation."

"And that is what you're getting: a conversation."

"And for that I am honoured, empress."

The young woman lay her cup down on the table and gracefully stood up, the ruffle of fabric following her across the room, towards the threshold of the garden. The frame of the door was adorned with a species of climbing ivy that was in full bloom with blue flowers. She lifted a finger to gently caress the petals of the flower, and Sephiroth could have sworn the entire plant, blossom and leaves and roots, trembled in pleasure.

"You keep calling me "empress" but you don't know what it means. In our culture we don't have rulers, but we have roles. I am only an interlocutor, the mouthpiece of a council. The woman you just labeled a servant may sit in my place tomorrow, and I'd be serving her tea. I am not shrewd, but I strive to be wise. I am young and without children, and my power is recognised and put where I can be of greatest service. "Empress" is just a translation men like you made from what we told them, but the manifestation is entirely different from what you have in your land. I don't know why your people are so keen to twist and corrupt that which they don't understand."

Her anger emanated from her in pulses of energy that he felt on his very own skin. He looked at his hands and arms, observing how every hair was standing as from a shiver, momentarily taken aback by the phenomenon.

"You speak of engaging in equivalent exchange, but it seems preposterous at best." She continued. "You repeatedly fail to understand there is nothing we could want from your industry or your culture. You want our mako crystals, as you call them, that which is most sacred to us, to engage in war, but we will never willingly offer them for such a purpose."

She turned to face him, her tense and fierce expression making her suddenly older than her years.

"If that is your stance, why invite me to have this dialogue at all?"

Her expression relaxed and a wide smile brightened her face.

"Because you, Admiral Sephiroth, are an entirely different story."

"I'm sorry? I'm not sure I-"

"Will you walk with me, Admiral? Everything is understood better when you're surrounded by nature."

Sephiroth took two breaths and slowly got up from the floor, careful to not accidentally knock over the crystal tea set.

"I will. But please, before we continue - if not empress, how should I address you?"

She brought her hand to her heart and nodded once.

"You may call me Aerith."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might use this universe in the coming weeks of the AeriSeph challenges of it lends itself to being expanded.


End file.
